I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse

As a mother, this has to be one of my absolute favorite books! This wise mother taught and encouraged me to be prepared, to look ahead, to anticipate the questions my children ask and to take a breath of thought before I answer.  As many accounts throughout Scripture attest to the challenge of sibling rivalry, this book illustrates the Truths of Psalm 139 that claim that we are each known and made distinctly, wonderfully, and fearfully, and above all else we are all, each one of us loved by our Father in Heaven.  As parents we can marvel at the variations of color that each child brings to our life, and love them each one more than we ever asked, imagined, or dreamed possible.

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." - Luke 12:7

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:16-19

What would our families look like if children together came to grasp how much each of them is loved by their parents, not in competition but in awe at the love that God can place in a heart for others within His family? What would the Bride of Christ look like if fellow saints truly believed they were loved and then turned to outpour that love on their fellow saints?

Farah: Reeses cup (smooth and delicious delivery of a very strong concept)

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

This cute short book has its own amazing moral at the end, but I have loved to use it to emphasize how accounts of the Bible must be put together to know God in the deepest sense.  People throughout history have tried to take segment Scripture, but it is only finding its entire repetitive, rhythmic Heartbeat for humanity that you can deeply relate with Him in this life and forever!

The New Testament has its own perspectives of several men who watched and described the life of Jesus.  The details that one can glean from reading the same account from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can reveal him and his truths in amazing color, much like the little hero of this book, taking in the whole.

Activity: Place two or more children on different sides of an object and have them each describe what they see.  Then compare and contrast the perspectives.  The boys and I did this describing a flat screen T.V. with a video game paused on the screen.  Dax who was looking from the side described it as a narrow tall strip with control buttons and light coming from the side.  Cole pointed out its width, the lighted words pause and continue coming from the whole thing.  It was the same object and their descriptions were both very true but when put together gave the whole picture.

Farah: Peanut M&Ms (fun with a bit of protein)
Cole:Skittles (it is so colorful)